Shayna Marchese
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Shayna Marchese
@shaynamarchese.com
150 followers 230 following 180 posts
photos & comics, birds & nature
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shaynamarchese.com
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Weekend birds: Blue Jay and Peregrine Falcon (eating a... pigeon?) #birds
An inquisitive-looking Blue Jay perched on a branch on a gray winter day. Male Peregrine Falcon from a local pair perched on a tree limb on a sunny morning eating a prey item. There's not too much left of it and what can be seen is a pink foot (definitely from a bird) and some whitish-grayish feathers on the leg.
January 4, 2026 at 7:27 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Some highlights from the 90th Boonton Christmas Bird Count #birds
A Barred Owl sits on a branch in a snowy tree with its feathers floofed up. We looked at many clumps of leaves and wasp nests before locating this owl, who was tucked in nicely amongst the trees. A Great Blue Heron portrait. This bird was right next to a bridge with a nearly-solid fence blocking the view and my lens was too long to fit more of the bird in. A Bald Eagle perched high in a tree on a snow-covered branch. The eagle is looking down at a flock of Canada Geese (not pictured). A female Belted Kingfisher paused briefly above a small stream. She sits on a snowy branch, looking down at the water.
December 29, 2025 at 1:25 PM
shaynamarchese.com
From this year's Christmas Bird Count (12/14/2025):
Our route is usually nearly all cemeteries with no ponds; this year we covered Lincoln Park in Jersey City and got to see more species than usual; here's a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron hanging out by the edge of a mostly-frozen pond. #birds
A streaky-brown juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron is perched in some phragmites that are covered in snow. The bird has its head turned to the side; its eye is bright orange. A streaky-brown juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron is perched in some phragmites that are covered in snow at the edge of a mostly-frozen pond. The heron is in a typical hunched position where its neck does not look very long at all; Black-crowned Night Herons are often described as "stocky."
December 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Piping Plover, a little after sunrise, Jersey Shore. It's sporting leg bands, which are difficult to see as the bird's floofed up on a chilly morning #birds #shorebirds #PipingPlover
A young Piping Plover hunkers down on the beach in warm early-morning light. The bird's in profile; it has an all-black bill and soft brown coloring. A small shorebird on the beach in profile in early-morning sun. Part of a green leg band is visible. The Piping Plover has a short black bill and soft brown feathers on its upperparts; below it is white. It has orangey-yellow legs.
October 12, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Shayna Marchese
publicdomainrev.bsky.social
Specimens from Phantom Flowers, one of two books published in 1864 on the art of producing skeleton leaves. More in our latest post from @eayers0: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/phantom-flowers
August 21, 2025 at 7:47 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Ms. Mim of the dining room table
douggg.bsky.social Doug @douggg.bsky.social · Aug 11
“Stop scrolling and tell them about me”

This is Mim! We got her at a shelter three weeks ago.

#cats #catsofbluesky #catsky
A small grey cat is stretching her arm over my laptop keyboard.
August 11, 2025 at 8:54 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Milo’s too big for cat beds so we got him a dog bed instead #caturday #catsky #catsofbluesky
A large tabby tux cat is zonked out on a colorfully striped dog bed. The cat has long legs, big ears, and looks very peaceful on his throne.
August 2, 2025 at 11:51 AM
shaynamarchese.com
Seaside Sparrow #birds (Cook's Beach, Cape May County, May 2025)
A Seaside Sparrow perched in reeds, looking to the side. The bird is a drab grayish brown with a bit of yellow in front of its eyes and a brown mustache-like stripe running downwards from its bill, which is large for a sparrow.
July 31, 2025 at 11:35 AM
shaynamarchese.com
It's flying lobster season #HummingbirdClearwingMoth
A green and burgundy hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe) visits bee balm (Monarda fistulosa). The moth looks like a fuzzy flying lobster with long antennae and a curled proboscis.
July 29, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by Shayna Marchese
douggg.bsky.social
Milo appreciation post
#Cats #CatsofBluesky #Catsky
A brown and white tabby tux relaxes on a grey blanket. He's looking away from the camera with a happy and maybe slightly smug expression on his face
July 9, 2025 at 5:32 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Bees in the bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) #nativeplants
July 6, 2025 at 12:50 PM
shaynamarchese.com
In-progress rock tumble; a soothing break from *everything else*
An arrangement of many small smooth rocks on a black background; the rocks are mostly reddish-salmon or gray in color
July 2, 2025 at 11:27 AM
shaynamarchese.com
Crested Caracaras, Sarasota County, FL #birds #CrestedCaracara
A juvenile Crested Caracara walking on the ground. They're large falcons with big legs (for all the walking). The juvenile has bare pink skin around its face and a light blue bill. The same juvenile Crested Caracara, perched on a fence. An adult Crested Caracara perched on a rock by the side of a road. The adult has orange skin around the face instead of the pink of the juvenile. The adult Crested Caracara, still standing on the same rock, as the juvenile swoops in off to the side. The juvenile's blurry.
June 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
shaynamarchese.com
In case you need yet another reason to hate AI nonsense:
emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social Emanuel Maiberg @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social · Jun 17
AI bot scrapers are hitting every site on the web in search of training data. This report is the first good attempt to evaluate the impact of these AI scrapers, especially on smaller institutions that are trying to make their collections open to the public www.404media.co/ai-scraping-...
AI Scraping Bots Are Breaking Open Libraries, Archives, and Museums
"This is a moment where that community feels collectively under threat and isn't sure what the process is for solving the problem.”
www.404media.co
June 17, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by Shayna Marchese
rheisman.bsky.social
Welp, I did it, I wrote a piece for @therevelator.org on the proposed funding cuts to the Bird Banding Lab & Breeding Bird Survey and what they would mean for bird research & conservation in the U.S. Definitely a different sort of writing than I usually do. 🪶 therevelator.org/trump-vs-bir...
Trump vs. Birds: Proposed Budget Eliminates Critical Research Programs • The Revelator
Experts say there’s “no substitute” for the Bird Banding Laboratory or the Breeding Bird Survey, which help reveal the health and status of avian populations across the country.
therevelator.org
June 16, 2025 at 5:45 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Gulf coast shells and other beach finds from Captiva, FL
An assortment of colorful shells. I don't know the names of all of them but the assortment includes Atlantic calico scallops, turkey wing ark clam, and cat's paw. An assortment of colorful shells. I don't know the names of all of them but the assortment includes giant heart cockle, yellow cockle, slipper shell, and calico clam. There are a couple rock-like things too.
June 15, 2025 at 2:10 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Well this hit hard already but I've just learned that Douglas McCarthy was a birder: "Dad and I were twitchers, I had my Young Ornithologists Club enamel badge, and we would get up super early, go out, cut samphire on the mudflats of Canvey Island, and go home."
thequietus.com The Quietus @thequietus.com · Jun 12
RIP Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb

buff.ly/c3EPGwM
Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb
June 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
shaynamarchese.com
So Florida Scrub Jays are pretty great #birds #FloridaScrubJay
A Florida Scrub Jay is perched in a bush (I think it’s sand live oak) on an overcast day. The bird is blue and gray with light gray on its head and front. It’s tilting its head to one side, looking inquisitive. A Florida Scrub Jay is perched in a bush (maybe sand live oak) on an overcast day. The bird is blue and gray with light gray on its head and front. It’s looking right at the camera and appears to have a bit of an attitude. I received this glower after the jay figured out I didn’t have any offerings for it.
June 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
shaynamarchese.com
A surprise Black-billed Cuckoo seen while kayaking the Rockaway River. I've only seen this species one other time... it did that very cuckoo thing where you've spotted it and it hunches over and just moves a little but somehow disappears completely (what is with them!?) #birds #blackbilledcuckoo
A Black-billed Cuckoo perched on a tree limb, seen in profile. In addition to its namesake black bill, it has a long tail, white front, brown head and back, and bright red ring around its eye.
May 24, 2025 at 10:24 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Yellow-breasted Chat, South Cape May Meadows #birds
Warbler-like bird with a yellow breast, olive back, and white spectacles perched at the top of a shrub that is wrapped in vines. Chats were once thought to be warblers but have more recently been classified into their own family.
May 14, 2025 at 10:34 AM
shaynamarchese.com
Shorebirds on the Delaware Bay #birds #shorebirds
A large mixed group of shorebirds coming in for a landing along the Delaware Bay. Most recognizable amongst the chaos are Ruddy Turnstones and Red Knots. Also present are Dunlin, Semiplamated Sandpipers, and Sanderling. A group of shorebirds taking off: it's mostly Ruddy Turnstones and Red Knots.
May 11, 2025 at 7:40 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Saw some shorebirds! Delaware Bay, NJ #birds #RedKnot
A Red Knot (a medium-sized shorebird with a reddish head and front) stands with its head in profile as a wave hits behind it.
May 11, 2025 at 5:24 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Fluorescent minerals from Franklin, NJ (ID'd as best I can) #minerals #fluorescent
Photo of a rock taken in the dark using a shortwave (255nm) flashlight. This contains Willemite (green) and calcite (red); I believe the dark parts are Franklinite. Photo of the previous rock under regular lighting. Photo of a rock taken in the dark using a shortwave (255nm) flashlight. This contains calcite (red) and Willemite (green); the dark parts may be Franklinite. Photo of the previous rock under regular lighting.
May 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
shaynamarchese.com
No kings, only kinglets #birds
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet perched in profile on a branch on an overcast early spring day. The bright red feathers on top of its head are just visible. A Golden-crowned Kinglet (very) momentarily paused on a branch on an overcast day. The overall gray of its surroundings makes its yellow crown really pop.
April 6, 2025 at 9:51 PM
shaynamarchese.com
Purple Sandpiper, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park #birds
A Purple Sandpiper on a rock with the ocean behind it. The bird is in profile and it only looks vaguely purple. A Purple Sandpiper on a rock looking for food as the ocean water is splashing around it. Some droplets are in front of the bird's face.
March 15, 2025 at 10:49 PM